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Natural hazards · Princeton

Princeton, NJ natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Princeton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 101 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations
Expected damage

How exposed is Princeton?

55
Moderate
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Princeton to be higher than in 55% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding64%Hurricanes12%Strong wind8%Everything else16%
By hazard

What Princeton faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

64% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 66% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

12% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Flood insurance claims

Does Princeton flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Princeton, from FEMA’s records.

101paid claims since 1978
$5.0Mpaid to owners
5homes flooded more than once
19782026

Biggest named events

  • Hurricane Irene: 21 claims, $1.3M
  • Hurricane Ida: 17 claims, $2.8M
  • Hurricane Floyd: 9 claims, $278K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Princeton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Mercer County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
2homes raised above flood level
Disasters that hit Princeton

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Princeton itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Princeton.

Brought FEMA money into PrincetonDeclared for Mercer County only
2021

Remnants of Hurricane Ida

255 households applied for aid $657K aid approved $579K to Princeton for repairs
2016

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$51K to Princeton for repairs
2012

Hurricane Sandy

231 households applied for aid $76K aid approved $676K to Princeton for repairs
2011

Hurricane Irene

504 households applied for aid $914K aid approved $580K to Princeton for repairs
2010

Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

$37K to Princeton for repairs
2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

259 households applied for aid $403K aid approved $139K to Princeton for repairs
2007

Severe Storms and Inland and Coastal Flooding

25 households applied for aid $47K aid approved
1999

Hurricane Floyd Major Disaster Declarations

$37K to Princeton for repairs
Mercer County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.
Around Princeton

Princeton and the towns around it

Montgomery: High, mostly inland floodingWest Windsor: High, mostly inland floodingLawrence: High, mostly inland floodingFranklin: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPlainsboro: Very high, mostly inland floodingHopewell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Brunswick: Low, mostly inland floodingRocky Hill: High, mostly inland floodingHillsborough: Moderate, mostly inland floodingRobbinsville: Low, mostly inland floodingEast Windsor: Very high, mostly inland floodingHamilton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEwing: High, mostly inland floodingTrenton: High, mostly inland floodingNew Brunswick: High, mostly inland floodingMillstone: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPiscataway: High, mostly inland floodingManville: High, mostly inland floodingBridgewater: Moderate, mostly inland floodingNorth Brunswick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSouth Bound Brook: Very high, mostly inland floodingCranbury: High, mostly inland floodingUpper Makefield: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Amwell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingWest Amwell: Moderate, mostly inland floodingSolebury: Moderate, mostly inland floodingEast Brunswick: Moderate, mostly inland floodingMonroe: Moderate, mostly inland floodingPrinceton: Moderate, mostly inland flooding PrincetonMontgomeryWest WindsorLawrenceFranklinPlainsboroHopewellSouth Brunswick
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Plainsboromostly inland floodingVery high
West Windsormostly inland floodingHigh
Montgomerymostly inland floodingHigh
Lawrencemostly inland floodingHigh
Hopewellmostly inland floodingModerate
Princetonmostly inland floodingModerate
Franklinmostly inland floodingModerate
South Brunswickmostly inland floodingLow
About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.
Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Princeton covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Princeton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Princeton. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Princeton total about $14.3M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.

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